Klopp clashes with German media again over Kimmich's omission from midfield

Jurgen Klopp clashed with the German media for the third time in as many games on Saturday, bristling at questions about Joshua Kimmich’s omission from the starting midfield ahead of Germany’s Nations League rematch with Greece in Thessaloniki on Sunday.

Klopp, 59, selected a midfield of Florian Wirtz, Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic for Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Serbia — leaving Bayern Munich captain Kimmich out entirely. When a reporter raised the decision at the pre-match press conference, Klopp’s frustration was immediate.

“It’s such a beautiful evening, and without even mentioning it, you’re trying to bring up a topic that isn’t really a topic,” Klopp said. “And in the end, it’ll be a Jo Kimmich story. You’ll manage that, won’t you? Pavlovic, Bischof, Wirtz — it worked brilliantly.”

The former Liverpool manager elaborated on his selection logic, arguing that no single player is guaranteed a place regardless of reputation. “Now imagine if we had exactly three midfielders in Germany. Exactly three. Why should only one player always play? You have to be in good form to play. Just like at every club. You don’t play there if you’re not in good form.”

Klopp acknowledged the question was inevitable but felt it arrived too quickly given the quality of the performance against Serbia. “It’s logical that it came up, I just thought it was a bit early. Question two or three was already heading in that direction. That’s why I thought I’d say something about it.”

Both Wirtz and Bischof got on the scoresheet against Serbia, and Klopp is expected to retain the same midfield three against Greece. Pavlovic, who sat alongside Klopp at the briefing, was enthusiastic about the combination. “It was incredibly fun playing alongside Tom and Flo,” he said. “You can see that we all have a lot of quality on the ball. We complemented each other.”

The tension at the podium is not new. Klopp set an abrasive tone at his very first press conference as Germany head coach, threatening to walk away from the role if reporters targeted his family. The mixed start to his tenure — a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, a surprise 1-0 defeat to Greece, and then the Serbia win — has only intensified scrutiny, with his decision to name two separate 22-man squads for the current four-game Nations League window adding an unusual layer of complexity to his selections.